Back to School Will Be Fully Remote

BACK-TO-SCHOOL START WILL BE FULLY REMOTE

Receiving word last evening that the Cuyahoga County Board of Health recommends that schools begin the year remotely was sudden, but not unexpected. The CCBH made this recommendation because the overall health of our community is more at risk because of the spread of COVID-19.

Since the inception of this pandemic in March, we have been in continual communication with the CCBH and have been heeding their guidance. We have always relied on the Cuyahoga County Board of Health for necessary guidance related to the health, safety and well-being of our students and staff. In keeping with their guidance now, we will need to start the year remotely for the first quarter. This includes the cessation of in-person athletics, band and extra-curricular activities for the first quarter effectively immediately. 

This announcement about a necessary shift to fully remote learning has always been a part of our district return-to-school plan. Our plan clearly articulates the chance that classes, buildings and even the entire district would likely need to shift to all remote at some point during the year based on public health recommendations. Such a shift to fully remote would always be based on our protocols for student and staff safety in relation to COVID-19 in our schools and community.

It is our hope and intention to return to the in-person model with a virtual option as soon as health department guidance deems it prudent and we can logistically make the switch back to in-person learning.

With that being said, we are continuing with our planning for the 2020-21 school year. We still want families to submit the opt-in form if they want their child to learn virtually for the entire first semester by Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. We are building our class placements based on those family preferences. 

LOOKING AHEAD

We have been analyzing family selections for the virtual learning option and some distinct trends have emerged. These trends, along with evolving information from public health experts, have framed our ongoing discussions with our teachers through our Solon Education Association.

Our administrative team has been working with our teachers’ association to create the most effective instructional model while at the same time providing the necessary flexibility for some of our teachers who would not otherwise be able to return to the classroom this year. We believe our Solon teachers are some of the best educators in Ohio and the nation and we also believe our students benefit from our ability to keep them working in the district and with our students.

Throughout this planning process, our primary goals have been student and staff safety and keeping our students learning with Solon teachers and our Solon curriculum. To best support learning for all students with our Solon staff, we will be creating some all-virtual classrooms or teams in grades K-8 if possible. Most of our classrooms will be blended with a combination of both in-person and virtual students, and some classes might have in-person students only. Due to the complexity of high school student schedules, the only all-virtual classes at SHS will be when the entire school transitions to remote learning.

Later today, you will receive a message from your child’s school providing additional details about what the school day will look like in our buildings and for students at home. If you are choosing the virtual learning option for your child, please be sure to submit the opt-in form by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 2. The Frequently Asked Questions on the Back-to-School 2020 page of our website is also updated today.

If you have questions after you receive the information from your school, please be sure to reach out to the building principal. 

We will be in regular communication with you over the coming days and weeks to keep you updated on what the return to school will look like in a fully remote environment.

Thank you for your ongoing support.